Demi Lovato speaks out for first time since apparent overdose

(CNN) – Pop star Demi Lovato addressed fans for the first time since her apparent drug overdose last month.

“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” the 25-year-old singer wrote on her Instagram account Sunday. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”

Lovato was rushed to the hospital on July 24, a source close to her family told CNN at the time. She was later reported to be stable and conscious.

It hasn’t been publicly disclosed which drug or drugs may have been involved.

In her Instagram statement, Lovato thanks God, her fans, family and “team,” and the staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery,” she wrote. “I will keep fighting.”

Lovato has long been open about her struggles with sobriety, an eating disorder and being bipolar. She said she first tried cocaine as a teenage Disney star.

She discussed staying at a sober living house with the media.

In June, she shared she had relapsed and released a song called “Sober.”

A source close to Lovato previously told CNN that Lovato would seek drug abuse treatment following her hospitalization.